The government on Wednesday approved Rs 5,911 crore for the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) which will focus on empowering elected representatives of panchayati raj institutions for leadership roles and help 2.78 lakh rural local bodies achieve the sustainable development goals.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the continuation of the revamped RGSA from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2026 to develop governance capabilities of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs).
Under the revamped RGSA, the focus will shift towards "capacitating" the elected representatives of PRIs for leadership roles to develop an effective third tier of government.
The initiative is expected to enable them to deliver on localization of SDGs (sustainable development goals) for nine themes, - poverty free and enhanced livelihood in villages; healthy village, child-friendly village, water sufficient village; clean and green village; self-sufficient infrastructure in village, socially secured village; village with good governance; and engendered development in village.
"The revamped RGSA will help improve Panchayati Raj Institutions and ensure development in villages. It will help bridge the gap between the rural and urban areas and strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions across the country," I&B Minister Anurag Thakur told reporters.
Of the total financial outlay of Rs 5,911 crore, the central share will be Rs 3,700 crore with states providing the balance Rs 2,211 crore, he said.
The scheme will also converge capacity building initiatives of other ministries/ departments for attainment of SDGs, an official statement said.
The total financial outlay of the scheme is Rs 5,911 crore with the central share of Rs 3,700 crore and that of the states Rs 2,211 crore, it said.
"The approved scheme of RGSA will help more than 2.78 lakh rural local bodies including traditional bodies across the country to develop governance capabilities to deliver on SDGs through inclusive local governance with focus on optimum utilisation of available resources," the statement said.
The RGSA, a centrally sponsored scheme, was first approved by the Union Cabinet in 2018 for implementation from 2018-19 to 2021-22.
The main central components of the scheme included incentiviasation of panchayats and mission mode project on e-Panchayat including other activities at central level.
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